Lock nut



G. l. BOLES April 22,1930.

LOCK NUT Filed April 6, 1929 INVENTOR. George Boles,

ATTORNEY Paemea i--2z,19se i Q: f 1,755.80? v GEORGE I. nonns, onwAYnn, PENNSYLVANI Loo NUT a p ase filed A rils; 1929. Serial No. 352,982.

The'present invention relates to bolts and 6 represents a perspective of a nut showing" 'inore particularly to'a means for locking a. a modified locking' construction; and Fig. 7 f

nut on a bolt. ii I represents a perspective of the 'lockingele In lock nut devices as heretofore proposed ment used with the form shown in F i'g: 6 many, impractical constructions have been and flattened to its locking position; 5 devised and many such constructions have Referring to the drawings, a bolt 10 and I disadvantages which. render the successful nut 11 .are shown as equippedwithalocking operation of the device impossible. In some device embodying-one form of the present- 1 instances lock nut means have been devised invention, the latter including a lockingele whereinsupplemental memberscooperate he ment 12 for cooperation with certain special 2": ing ofthe nut.

tween the nut and bolt with a'view to prenut and bolt constructions. venting rotation of the latter but have no The nut 11 maybe any internally threaded provision for allowing'the nut ,to make full member for cooperation with the threaded useof the entirelength of the threaded porshank of the bolt 10, but in the present in-. tion of the bolt. .Again, the interlocking stance in order to receive the locking element means between'the'nut vand bolt issuch that 12 its outer face is provided'with a countera turning force can readily cause thelocking bore 13 which extends an appreciable dispart to twist and follow the mi'avementof tance into the thickness of the nut. e the nut, thus defeating the very purpose for In, order that the locking element 12 can to which it wasintended. Again in some forms "be removably mounted on the shank of the of locking devices the nut can'onlybe locked bolt 10 but held there against relative turnaftera'full turn upon the shank of the bolt ing movement, the shank is provided with and hence it is not always possible to tighten one or more axially arranged'grooves 14' and the bolt and at the same time securea lock in the present instance four such grooves are shown" arranged at ninetydegree intervals. Some of the objects of-the present inven- The locking-element 12 is centrally bored'to tion are to'provide a practical and efiicient slide freely over thethreaded shank ofthe device for locking a nut ona bolt; to provide bolt 10 and is provided with tongues 15 which a ,nut lock which will permit the nut 'to be correspond in number and position with the locked in any one of a number of positions grooves 14 so that the element 12 can be readso lessthan a complete revolution of the nut; ily] slipped over and moved'axially of the to provide a locking devicewhich is so arshank of the bolt. The arrangement issuch ranged and constructed as to give a maxi that when the locking element 12 is upon the mum resistance to turning of the nut upon shank with its tongues 15 seated in the grooves the shank of the bolt; to provide a nut lock 14 there can be no possible turning movein which the locking element can be readily ment of the element upon the shank. Inthis removed when necessary; and to provide connection it should also be noticed that the other improvements as will hereinafter ap' element 12is ofconcavo-convex contour while pear. I I its thickness is such as to allow it tofiex read- Inthe'accompanyingdrawingsFig. 1 repily'and be'torced to assume a flat position resents a perspective of a bolt and nut when it is functioning in its operative posiequipped withfa nut lockembodying one tion. I form of the present invention; Fig. '2 repw Inorder'to interlock the locking element resents an end elevation of the bolt and nut 12 withthe nut 11 the wall bounding the showing the locking element in its initial counterbore is provided with one or more ra 9e position; Fig. 3 represents a sectional elevadial holes 16 which are arranged respectively tion showing the locking element in locked to receive one or more tongues 17 of thelock-' position; Fig. 4: represents a sectional deingelement 12. In this instance tour holes v tailon line 4-4: of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 represents 16 are provided in'the nut and four tongues 7 a perspective of the locking element; Fig. '17 provided on the locking"element 12, I we the respective tongues and grooves are circumferentially spaced a like distance so that each tongue will enter one of the holes when the locking element 12 is forced to a fiat position. Normally the overall diameter of the locking element 12 is slightly less than the internal diameter of the counterbore 13 and hence in assembling the device the element 12 'can be freely slipped over the end of the bolt shank and moved into the counterbore of the nut Where itautomatically takes the position with the tongues opposite the holes 16 by reason of the location of. the grooves 14 and tongues 15. I

When the parts are assembled in unlocked positionas shown in Figure 2 the nut '11 can be freely rotated or turned upon the shank of the bolt :10 until it is brought to rigid clamping position upon the parts held by the bolt and it can then be locked in this position by the employment of any suitable tool engaging the convex face of the locking element 12 and forcing the latter to expand into a fiat position where the tongues 17 enter the holes 16 of the nut. This efiectually locks the nut against movement and it is so held until it is'desired to remove it which can easily be done by inserting a suitable implement back of the locking element 12 and prying it out of position. v

V In the form of the invention shown in Figs..

6 and 7, the counterbore 18 of the nut 20 has its encircling wall formed with a plurality of radially disposed bevelled openings 21 spaced at relatively small angular degrees apart for the reception of tongues 22 respectively. The bevelling of the openings 21 is such that the diameter of the bottom of the counterbore is somewhat greater than the diameter at the entrance to the counterbore. These tongues 22 are formed as the periphery of a washer 23 which has an axial opening 24 of a diameter to slide readily over the bolt threads and yet is prevented from rela tive turning upon the bolt by reason of inthe openings 21. The nut 20 is now rigidlyheld against turning relative to the bolt 10 and is locked until such time as it becomes desirous to loosen the bolt which can be done by prying the washer out to release the nut for movement.

It will now be apparent that a complete,

efficient and economical lock nut has been devised whereby a nut can be tightened upon a bolt and locked fast against movement of any kind thereafter. It should be'noted that the interlocking between the locking washer and the nut takes place by the interfitting of parts lying in the plane of the nut and hence there is the maximum resistance to an applied force acting to release the nut. Also the looking' washer is located within a counterbore of the nut and is therefore shieldedand protected from exterior adjacent moving parts which otherwise might dislodgethe washer and thus inadvertently release the nut.

While but two forms of the present invention are shown,'it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction, but might be applied to various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. r

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim: r

1. In a lock nut construction the combination of a bolt provided with a groove, a nut arranged to thread on said bolt and having a counterbore and a radial hole opening into said bore, and a curved washer slidable over the threads of said bolt having an inwardly disposed'tongue to seat in said groove and an outwardly disposed tongue to enter said radial hole when said washer is pressedflat in said counterbore. V

V 2. In a lock nut construction the combinationof a bolt provided with a plurality of axially disposed grooves, a nut for said bolt having a counterbore and a plurality of radially arranged openings communicating with said bore, and a curved washer slidable over the threads of said bolt having'a plurality of inwardly disposed tongues for respectively entering said grooves and a plurality of outwardly disposed tongues to respectively enter said radial openings when said washer is pressed fiat within said counterbore. V

. 3. In a lock nut construction the combination of a bolt, a nut arranged to thread on said bolt and having a counterbore and a radial hole opening into said counterbore, a flexible washer slidable over the threads of said bolt having an outwardly disposed tongue to enter said radial hole where said washer'is pressed flat in said counterbore, and

- means for preventing'relative turning movement of said washer with respect to said bolt.

slgned at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, this 4th day of April, 1929.

' V GEORGE I. BOLES. 

